Mobile storefront control systems and methods

ABSTRACT

The present application provides systems and methods for a mobile storefront having direct customer access to inventory and pricing from a mobile storefront. In particular, systems and methods provide an application usable by customers to purchase goods or services from a mobile storefront through an electronic communication device. This includes reserving and purchasing products in inventory of the mobile storefront or pooled inventory from multiple mobile storefronts in an area, reserving and purchasing services and/or support, and for communicating directly with an electronic communication device of the mobile storefront.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/615,326, filed Jan. 9, 2018, entitled “SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR IMPROVED PRODUCT AND STORE TRANSACTIONS”, the entirety ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS Field of the Inventions

This application relates generally to operation of mobile storefrontsincluding inventory management, sales, and marketing and, moreparticularly, to systems and methods for enhancing mobile storefrontcapabilities for improved customer experience and meeting customerdemand through automated facilitation and coordination between the DBS,the mobile store, the mobile store operator, and/or the customer.

Description of Related Art

Mobile storefronts are utilized in many industries. Mobile storefronts,as used herein, refers to vehicles transporting and displaying productsfor sale where the mobile storefront transports available products to apoint of sale, such as to a customer's location, to an event, or otherlocation. Mobile storefronts, however, have limited capacity and,therefore, must limit the inventory available for immediate sale. Thisis increasingly troublesome in the automotive repair industry where thenumber of highly specialized products or services is only compounded bythe number of possible automotive repairs.

Mobile storefronts may be one part of a system where the system ismanaged, maintained, or operated by a Distributor Business System (DBS).By example, the DBS may operate multiple mobile storefronts and supporteach mobile storefront with the necessary sales, marketing, branding,and manufacturing capabilities. In some examples, the relationshipbetween the mobile storefront and the DBS is a franchisor-franchiseerelationship.

Often, the DBS offers more products for sale than there is spaceavailable in a single mobile storefront. These products may be offeredfor sale directly from the mobile storefront inventory, through acatalog, at a brick and mortar storefront, or even by way of e-commerce.Although delivery times for e-commerce purchases have greatly improved,e-commerce still does not resolve situations where a product may beneeded immediately at the customer's location, at the time of ascheduled site visit, or where a mobile store distributor needs toprovide support or services in combination with the product. Likewise,although brick and mortar retail locations may provide greater productinventory, brick and mortar retail locations also do not resolvesituations where a product may be needed immediately at a customerlocation, at the time of a scheduled site visit, or where a mobile storedistributor needs to provide support or service in combination with theproduct at the customer location, or an event. Mobile storefronts bridgethis gap between e-commerce and brick and mortar retail locations.Mobile storefronts, however, do not provide the inventory availabilityof e-commerce or brick and mortar stores. These problems are onlyfurther amplified by the complexities and the demands found acrossfranchise distribution models comprising multiple entities and parties.Therefore, systems and methods for controlling distribution of productsand services through a mobile storefront is needed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS

The present disclosure relates generally to providing systems andmethods to enhance the functionality of a DBS or a franchisedistribution model, to enable customers to shop between world wide webchannels and mobile store(s), or storefront(s), at any time of day ornight and any day of the year. In addition, the system synchronizesproduct availability on the app with the mobile store(s) anddistributor/manufacturer inventory levels. There is also provided adistributor purchase confirmation and approval process. The systems andmethods allow for control of inventory, sales, and marketing and, in anexample, allow for provisioning inventory control of a mobile storefrontin relation to customer demand, logistics, or other factors. Systems andmethods for improved mobile storefront distribution is provided hereinto compete directly with e-commerce and brick and mortar stores. Thesystems and methods of the present disclosure provide inventive conceptsfor efficiently and immediately confirming availability and/or providingproducts, support, and services onsite, such as at a customer'slocation, an event, or other location.

A simplified summary is provided herein to help enable a basic orgeneral understanding of various aspects of exemplary, non-limitingexamples that follow in the more detailed description and theaccompanying drawings. This summary is not intended, however, as anextensive or exhaustive overview. Instead, the sole purpose of thesummary is to present some concepts related to some exemplarynon-limiting examples in a simplified form as a prelude to the moredetailed description of the various examples that follow.

In various, non-limiting examples, a software application is provided torun on a variety of computing devices such as computer, tablets, andhandheld communication devices, such as smartphones. In particular, thesoftware application is provided to facilitate a complex interactionbetween multiple entities or parties in a DBS or a franchisedistribution model for facilitating the necessary inventory, support,and services of a mobile storefront based directly upon customerdemands, forecasts, and/or other market or customer information.

The presently disclosed systems and methods are implemented at a mobilestorefront with direct customer inventory control as follows. The mobilestorefront comprises an inventory compartment, an electroniccommunication device, and a processor. The processor is coupled to acomputer readable storage medium with computer executable instructionsstored thereon. The computer executable instructions are for use incontrolling inventory in the inventory compartment of the mobilestorefront. The computer readable instructions, when executed by theprocessor, configure the processor to receive a selection of one or moreselected inventory items. The selection is received through theelectronic communication device from a selection made through a customerelectronic communication device and implemented by a softwareapplication. The computer readable instructions, when executed by theprocessor, further configure the processor to communicate the selectionof the one or more selected inventory items to a mobile storedistributor for approval. This communication may be performed throughthe electronic communication device. The computer readable instructions,when executed by the processor, additionally configure the processor toautomatically change an availability identifier in the system of theselected inventory item available through the inventory compartment uponreceipt of an authorization signal. The authorization signal is a resultof the mobile store distributor approval.

A software application may be implemented for direct customer control ofthe inventory for a mobile storefront as follows. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium with computer executable instructions storedthereon is executed by a processor to perform the systems and methodsdescribe herein. The computer executable instructions comprise asoftware application that when executed by the processor configures theprocess to output a list of one or more inventory items availablethrough a mobile storefront. This list may be produced on a display ofan electronic communication device. The list of one or more inventoryitems available through a mobile storefront may be limited to thoseitems available within the mobile storefront or may include those itemsavailable through pooled mobile storefronts, a warehouse, a productcatalog, and/or the like. The software application further configuresthe processor to receive a selection of one or more inventory items fromthe list of one or more inventory items. The selection the one or moreinventory items is made by a customer through a user interface of acustomer electronic communication device. The software application mayalso configure the process to communicate an availability identifier ofthe one or more inventory items. The availability identifier may becommunicated on a display of an electronic communication device, such asthe customer electronic communication device. The software applicationalso configures the processor to communicate the selection of the one ormore inventory items to a mobile store distributor electroniccommunication device for an approval. The communication of the selectionmay be made on a display of the mobile store distributor electroniccommunication device and the approval may be made by the mobile storedistributor through a user interface of the mobile store distributorelectronic communication device. The software application furtherconfigures the processor to automatically change the availabilityidentifier of the selected inventory item corresponding to theavailability through an inventory compartment of a mobile storefrontupon receipt of an authorization signal. The authorization signal may bethe result of at least an approval received from the mobile storedistributor electronic communication device.

These and other examples are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Various non-limiting examples are further described with reference theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting example for asoftware application according to one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting example for asoftware application according to one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting computing deviceaccording to one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting example of theimplementation of the present systems and methods through an electroniccommunication device;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting server inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram representing an exemplary, non-limitingnetworked environment, including cloud or internet based, in whichvarious examples described herein can be implemented; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram representing an exemplary, non-limitingcomputing system or operating environment in which one or more aspectsof various examples described herein can be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS General Overview

Application programs (apps) are software programs or applications thatare designed to run on a variety of computing devices such as computers,tablets, and handheld communication devices, such as smartphones. Suchdevices are referred to herein as electronic communication devices. Thecurrent state of apps have not lent themselves well to situations wherecomplex interaction between multiple entities and parties is required.In particular, apps for use in customer, distributor, and storerelationships for leveraging a DBS or franchise distribution model and,more specifically, a mobile storefront are not readily available. Thepresent systems and methods provide novel and new inventive concepts foran app in a DBS or franchise distribution model. An example of a DBS maybe a Point of Sale (POS) system. As described herein, the present DBSsystem provides inventive concepts and additional functionality overknown POS systems. Additionally or alternatively, the DBS may utilize aPOS system in combination with the additional features. In particular,the present application provides systems and methods for enablingcustomers to shop between world wide web channels and mobile storefrontsat any time day or night during any day of the year. The particularinventive concepts are detailed throughout this disclosure. Inparticular, the system provides and synchronizes inventory itemavailability on the app correlated with customer demand, the mobilestorefront inventory compartment, the mobile storefront distributor,and/or a manufacturer or warehouse. Also provided is a distributorpurchase confirmation and approval process correlated with customeraccess and control of purchasing decisions.

In an example, the system generally includes customer access todistributor pricing and inventory availability in association withproducts, support or services associated with the products. The systemmay also include customer or distributor access to mobile store paymentplans, such as, but not limited to, mobile storefront timed payments(TP), corporate financing, and payment services. Additional features ofthe system include customer access to detailed product information,product review, product service initiation, and product support such as,but not limited to, warranty claims and repair requests. An inventiveconcept of the new and novel system described herein is providingvisibility and control to the customers and/or the mobile storefrontdistributor at all times, and to provide a direct link to view, access,and control the mobile storefront inventory availability in real timefor all customers.

Each of the features for the systems and methods disclosed herein areperformed by a software application used in combination with a mobilestorefront. In particular, the software application of the presentdisclosure implements a service that enables access and management ofinventory item availability through a mobile storefront in acustomizable and cost-effective manner for the customer and/or themobile store distributor. The software application may be performedacross multiple electronic communication devices, unless statedotherwise herein. The software application may be stored locally on eachrespective device, on a single device, across multiple devices, througha single server, through multiple servers and/or over a cloud computingenvironment.

An electronic communication device, as utilized herein, may include anycomputing device such as an electronic machine including at least acomputer processor and/or a computer memory. Exemplary electroniccommunication devices include, without limitation, a personal computer(e.g., desktop or notebook computer), a mobile device (e.g., smartphone,tablet device, a personal digital assistant, or substantially anyportable, movable computing device), a wearable computing device (e.g.,device having an optical head-mounted display, a wrist-mounted device,etc.), a server computer, and/or embedded computing devices of assets.

It is understood that the application(s) that are stored in the memoryon such communication devices are executable by a processor andimplemented in the form of software, in any suitable programminglanguage. Software components are stored in memory on the device oraccessed through the internet or cloud, and are executable by theprocessor. An executable program may be stored in any portion orcomponent of the memory including, for example, random access memory(RAM), (SRAM), (DRAM), (MRAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive,solid-state drive, USB flash drive, memory card, optical disc such ascompact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, magnetictape, or any other suitable like memory device. Although the systems andmethods, including the inventory management application and othervarious systems described herein, may be embodied in software or codeexecuted by general purpose hardware as discussed above, an alternativethe same may also be embodied in dedicated hardware or a combination ofsoftware/general purpose hardware and dedicated hardware.

In the examples of the systems and methods, although the flowcharts showa specific order of execution, it is understood that the order ofexecution may differ from that which is depicted, or the operations maybe executed concurrently or with partial concurrence, or skipped oromitted depending on the circumstances.

In one example, an electronic communication device for use by a customeror a mobile store distributor is described herein. The electroniccommunication device includes a user interface, a display, and aprocessor coupled to a computer-readable storage medium on theelectronic communication device. The computer-readable storage mediumstores computer-executable instructions for a software application foruse in the present mobile storefront inventory control. The softwareapplication, when executed by the processor, configures the processor tooutput, on the display, the information communicated by the electroniccommunication device as further described below. The softwareapplication further configures the processor to receive, via the userinterface, a selection of one or more inventory items as describedbelow. In addition, the software application configures the processor toreceive approval of the requested one or more inventory items from themobile store distributor or others as described below. The softwareapplication further configures the processor to communicate theselection of the one or more inventory items to other devices foridentifying availability and/or restocking of the selected inventoryitem as also described below.

The electronic communication device may further include a communicationinterface for receiving data associated with the inventory compartment,pooled inventory, and/or a warehouse. The communication interface, inone example, may include a receiver configured to record inventory itemsas they are transferred. In another example, the communication interfaceis configured to receive inventory data from other locations. In yetanother example, the communication interface includes a receiverconfigured to track inventory items through an inventory monitoringinterface operatively coupled to the inventory compartment.

Customer Application

The present application provides systems and methods for a mobilestorefront having direct customer access to inventory and inventorycontrol based on direct customer data, with the aid of a digitalcomputer. A mobile storefront comprises an inventory compartment. Theinventory compartment is a structure for displaying and/or transportingproducts for sale or service. As an example, in the automotive repairindustry many of the products for sale through a mobile storefront arehighly specialized and require support and repair services. Inparticular, a mobile storefront is critical to the operations of therepair service industry and the mobile storefront has to deliver theproducts, support, and services to make such operations workeffectively. In the mobile storefront serving the automotive repairindustry, for example, the inventory compartment of the mobilestorefront may additionally provide an area to demonstrate products,service products, and provide the necessary support for a product at thepoint of sale. Further, the mobility of the inventory compartment andmobile storefront allow each of these functions to occur at the point ofsale, which includes, but is not limited to, a customer's location,event or otherwise.

In order for a customer to perform the method of operation for thepresent systems and methods, the customer must access or must downloadthe software application. The software application may be made availablethrough online retailers such as the Google Pay store, other Android appproviders, the Apple Store, and/or other services that host apps.Through the software application, the supply entity, such as the DBS,franchise distributor, or the like, notifies a mobile store distributorof a list of pending customers waiting for approval. The mobile storedistributor can approve access, allow access to inventory and/orpricing, enable mobile store pick-up, and approve purchases. The mobilestore distributor or other entity maintains full access and control ofthe system and can enable or disable customer access via the platform.

In this example, upon approval by the mobile store distributor, theinventory items available through an inventory compartment of a mobilestorefront may be viewed and selected at any time by a customer throughan electronic communication device. The electronic communication devicecommunicates the most current information from the mobile storefront tothe customer for utilization of the inventory compartment of the mobilestorefront. This information may include, but is not limited to,inventory availability (whether within the mobile storefront orelsewhere in the franchise distribution model or locality), pricing,payment options, financing options, payment collections, servicerequests, support information, repair status, warranty status, serviceand support calendars, marketing data, promotions, preordercapabilities, and various functions to enhance the ability of thecustomer to order products or services. The present disclosure providessystems and methods for inventory control with omnichannel oromnipresent full-time availability instead of a physical visit, such asat a minimum of once a week. Each of these will be discussed in greaterdetail below.

Through the electronic communication device the customer may viewcurrent or needed inventory items, such as products and/or servicescurrently available within the mobile storefront based upon their needs.If the inventory item is in stock, or is a stocked inventory item,within the mobile storefront the customer may select that inventoryitem, thereby, reserving the inventory item through the electroniccommunication device. If a customer has a product service request, thesystem and methods may also note whether an inventory space is availablefor a product service request (e.g. transporting a product requiringrepair), which can also be identified for selection through theelectronic communication device by the customer.

In an example, the software application communicates the selection ofthe selected inventory item to a mobile store distributor electroniccommunication device. The mobile store distributor is the operator ofthe mobile storefront. The mobile store distributor may be provided theoption for approval before the selected product is reserved for theselecting customer. Several considerations may be made in the approvalprocess. The approval may come directly from the mobile storedistributor, or may be provided by another party in the transaction,such as another mobile store distributor or the like. The approval mayalso require review and approval of that particular customer such as,but not limited to, review of prior payment history, prior purchasehistory, customer status, and the like. The approval may additionallyrequire confirmation of payment or confirmation of financing. Each ofthese functions may be performed by the software application through theelectronic communication device to other electronic communicationdevices in the system.

Upon approval by the mobile store distributor, the availability of theselected inventory item is automatically changed with respect to thatparticular mobile storefront. By example, inventory of the selectedproduct is either reduced or identified as being unstocked orunavailable when viewed by a subsequent customer. Likewise, availableinventory space for a repair request is either reduced or identified asbeing unavailable when viewed by a subsequent customer. But, as will bedescribed further, the system and methods may also access the inventoryof other mobile storefronts, other distributors or even the manufacturerto see if inventory may be available that would satisfy a customerrequest.

Thus, the availability of the selected inventory item may be furthercommunicated by the software down the DBS or franchise distributionchain based under the current systems and methods. By example, uponreserving the selected item from within a mobile storefront the productavailability at the warehouse changes in order to restock thatparticular item within the mobile storefront upon return to thewarehouse. This may occur automatically. In another example, thisprocess may require further approval through the software by a party inthe DBS, such as by the warehouse, and/or other mobile storefronts. Thisadditional approval may occur prior to restocking the mobile storefrontbased upon product demand, product sales, product location. Thereby, theinventory may not automatically change until the respective approvalsare achieved through the system which was first initiated by thecustomer at the point of selection of the inventory item.

The systems and methods of the present disclosure may furtherapproximate demand for products, or limit the products and services,with respect to a particular customer. By example, based upon thecustomer's operation or prior demand, the future demand of certainproducts or services can be approximated and supplied to the mobilestorefront to be ready for the future demand. The flexibility providedby the systems and methods allow a mobile storefront to be ready toserve its customers. In addition, the mobile storefront can identifypromotions or new products that may be determined to be of potentialinterest to a customer, and target the customer with relatedinformation. The ability to direct marketing information, promotions, ornotifications of new or upcoming products to a particular customer basedon knowledge of the customer's needs will enhance the relationship withthe customer. Moreover, inventory availability, pricing or otherfeatures might also be controlled by or based on the particularcustomer. The system and methods may also control accessibility of acustomer through the system. These accessibility parameters may bedetermined by the customer, the mobile store distributor, or elsewherein the DBS or franchise distribution chain. Further, this provides amechanism for the customer, the mobile store distributor, or the DBS tolimit accessibility at the electronic communication device of thecustomer for high risk purchases (e.g. financing, safety, cost, etc.) orfor purchases unrelated to the customer's operation. Further, this alsoprovides a mechanism for the customer, the mobile store distributor, orthe DBS to limit and/or communicate accessibility based upon warrantystatus, such as upon warranty expiration, wherein a warranty request maynot be requested upon expiration of warranty. Each of theseaccessibility limitations also provide the flexibility to prevent aninventory item from being inadvertently purchased by an unapprovedemployee of the customer or other individual. This further reserves orisolates the available inventory for those customers requiring suchinventory and, thereby maintains the availability of the inventory itemwithin the inventory compartment of the respective mobile storefront.

The systems and methods of the present disclosure may also improve theability of a mobile storefront or other distributor to provide servicesand support to its customers, such as on a regular schedule. Thisprovides the mobile storefront the ability to interact with the customerin a manner that is not available through e-commerce and/or brick andmortar storefronts. Through the electronic communication device, thecustomer may select availability or schedule a service and/or requestsupport. Like inventory within an inventory compartment, each service orsupport item is identified as available for selection based upon theavailability, scheduled visit, and/or location of the mobile storefrontand mobile store distributor relative to a customer. Further,availability of the service or support item may be determined bycustomer's current demand or by demand for repairs or other services orsupport by others in the DBS. Space within the inventory compartment,such as for repairs, transporting a product requiring repair, service,and/or support, may also be indicative of an availability for acorresponding inventory items or space.

Like service and support requests, warranty and repair claims may alsobe requested by the customer through the electronic communicationdevice. Inventory items may be available or limited to a respectivecustomer by the term of a warranty on a certain product or by anexisting claim. Like the service and support requests, warranty andrepair claims may be identified similar to an inventory item and mayadditionally be available or limited based upon the availability,scheduled visit, current demand, space within the inventory compartment,and/or location of the mobile storefront and mobile distributor relativeto the customer for example. In the view of expense of broken tools andequipment, repair shops can lose revenue when a tool or piece ofequipment is out of service. A mobile storefront using the currentsystem can save time by expediting the service or repair of the brokentool by having a replacement immediately available for the customerwithout having the customer leave their premises.

Another distinctive feature of the systems and methods provide thecustomer with the ability to communicate issues with a product that maybe encountered, to allow the mobile storefront the ability to properlyrespond to the customer. For example, in the automotive repair industry,the systems and methods may provide a software module, such as a brokentool wizard, made available to the customer through the electroniccommunication device. The broken tool wizard may provide functionalityfor either a customer, a technician, a repair professional, a mobilestore distributor, and/or any other party in the DBS to assist in therepair of a broken tool. Ideally, a customer or technician is able tosubmit information relating to a broken tool through the electroniccommunication device, such as by images, video, audio or other suitableform. The application may even offer the ability for video or audioconnection directly to a technician or a repair professional to evaluatethe situation. This information is sent directly to the mobile storedistributor, a repair professional, and/or any other party in the DBSthrough the software application. Particular features of the broken toolwizard may allow the customer or technician to identify the nature ofthe problem or broken item, provide a description of the broken item,provide a description of the damage, submit one or more pictures/videoor the like, to effectively communicate the issues with the broken toolto be serviced or repaired. Upon receipt of the information, the mobilestore distributor, a repair professional, and/or any other party in theDBS reviews and approves the information submitted by the customer ortechnician. As a result of the approval, the system and methods mayschedule a support or service appointment, or schedule to pick up thedamaged tool for repair or replacement. The system also allows thecompilation of information regarding broken or damaged goods tofacilitate making improvements or other response to problems that may beidentified with a particular product.

The electronic communication device may also provide the customer theavailability to request an expedited delivery service for a product orservice. Such a request may be made to override inventory itemavailability selected by other customers, based upon an indication ofthe other customer's demand. Expedited delivery service may also beaccomplished through inventory pooling, as further described below,and/or directly from the warehouse or other inventory. Upon a customermaking an expedited request, the mobile storefront can determine if therequest can be fulfilled and communicate an offer to the customer inrelation to the requested product or service, such as information oncosts and timing for approval by the customer.

The systems and methods may also provide a customer many options forpayment for products or services via the electronic communicationdevice. For example, a customer can pay for a product or service usingany suitable payment systems, such as PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay orlike services for example. Alternatively, the customer may be offeredfinancing of some sort, such as timed payments (TP) or other approaches.Financing a customer's purchase of goods or services may be offered byany party in the DBS, such as by the manufacturer, corporate store, adistributor, a franchisee, mobile store distributor, or any othersuitable party.

The present systems and methods also offer unique financing alternativesthrough the software application where the mobile store distributorextends credit and collects a weekly payment through the DBS. Thisallows the mobile store distributor to extend small amounts of creditwhere the customer may not have credit available through other means. Ifthe amount needed for purchase exceeds the amount of credit availablethat the mobile store distributor is willing to extend, the mobile storedistributor can propose corporate financing and coordinate theapplication and approval through the mobile storefront system.Alternatives using a combination of financing through the combination ofthe mobile store distributor and corporate can also be provided. Oncethe finance accounts are established, the mobile storefront systemmanages the collections interface and can freeze or extend credit basedon customer needs or behavior.

An example of such an approach is through a mobile store timed payment(TP). A TP arrangement establishes down payment terms, payment schedule,and interest charges. The system and methods may allow a party requestedto provide financing to a customer to check a customer's credit or otherinformation on which to make a decision to extend financing to acustomer. If a request for financing is accepted, the distributor orother party may communicate the TP or other terms through the electroniccommunication device to the customer, the mobile store distributor, orother party of the DBS to identify the status of these terms, schedules,and charges for the customer. The system and methods then allow thedistributor or other party that extended credit to a customer to collectand monitor payments for compliance with the terms of the arrangement.In the event of late payment, non-payment, or the like, the system andmethods may provide an alert to the distributor to communicate with thecustomer or possibly restrict access to other products or services bythat particular customer, until payment terms are rectified. The mobilestore distributor may communicate this negative status to the customerthrough the electronic communication device. By example, a customer mayreceive a “Account Frozen,” a “No Credit,” or other suitable message andmay further be prompted to call or communicate with the mobile storedistributor or other DBS party. The system and methods may also providethe mobile store distributor or other DBS party access through anelectronic communication device to approve the financed purchase or seta limit to financing available to a customer, or to auto approve afinancing request for a particular customer. The accessibility toinventory items may be determined, communicated, or approved by themobile store distributor, any other party of the DBS, or a combinationthereof. Moreover, accessibility of inventory items to a customer mayadditionally be based upon the performance of the mobile storedistributor as determined by any other party of the DBS.

The electronic communication device may further provide a TP calculator.The TP calculator will estimate and communicate the payment terms for aTP sale between the distributor and customer. This includes, but is notlimited to, down payment, repayment schedule, and interest charges. TheTP calculator may calculate estimated payment options based on setperiods, such as weekly, which may ultimately influence immediatepurchase decisions by the customer.

Another option for payment may be through a business account. Theelectronic communication device may communicate to the customer, themobile distributor, and/or any other party of the DBS the status of thebusiness account and/or any corporate financing balances when the systemof the electronic communication device is first initiated and/or at thetime of selection of one or more inventory items. Moreover, directpayments may be received through the electronic communication devicesent directly to the mobile store distributor, a third party paymentprocessor, and/or any other party of the DBS.

The following is an example of corporate financing where a customer canpurchase products using an extended form of financing. A corporatefinanced purchase transaction is a retail sale. The DBS operator retainsa collateral interest in the merchandise until the customer makes therequired number of finance payments. After a prescribed number offinance payments, ownership passes to the customer. The customer may beprovided the option of purchasing the product for a cash pay-off amountduring the finance period for example, or return the product beforeownership transfers. Each of these are input, calculated, or scheduledby the present methods and systems. Further, the finance-purchasedetails may be facilitated and communicated through the electroniccommunication device.

Still yet another feature of the systems and methods of the presentapplication is direct communication between the customer or technicianand the mobile store distributor through the electronic communicationdevice. A customer or technician may communicate by way of text, audio,or video messaging for example. Providing the customer and/or technicianthe ability to transmit messages directly between one another and/or tothe distributor point of sale system through the electroniccommunication device enhances the ability to serve the customer. Inresponse, the mobile store distributor is provided the ability tocommunicate back through the electronic communication device via thesoftware application to respond to questions about sales, service, andproduct information. Segmented or group messages may also beaccomplished by either or both parties to other designated parties topromote product sales and services and/or to share product reviews orother information.

Mobile Store Distributor Application

As described above, the mobile store distributor additionally maintainscontrol of the systems and methods of the present disclosure. The mobilestore distributor additionally utilizes an electronic communicationdevice to communicate between the electronic communication device of thecustomer, the inventory within the inventory compartment, and otherparties of the DBS. As used herein, the mobile store electroniccommunication device and the mobile store distributor electroniccommunication device are used interchangeably. The present disclosureprovides a software application that performs these functions acrossthese multiple devices. From the mobile store distributor perspective,the mobile store distributor is provided control of customer approvaland handling through an electronic communication device. Customerapproval will be initiated with the mobile store distributor uponreceiving notice from the DBS that a new customer has accessed orpurchased the app. In addition, the mobile store operator can set upparameters to automatically approve the customer based on a predefiningsetting or rules. Upon receipt, the mobile store distributor canestablish a customer relationship and allow full functionality inproviding goods or services to the new customer.

Arrangements set forth by the mobile store distributor through theelectronic communication device may be based upon customer, location,promotions, inventory, service capabilities, or the like.

The systems and methods also allow for effective response to customerdemands in such a distributor system. As a particular mobile storefrontonly has limited space for inventory of products, distributors can worktogether to supply products or services effectively. Such a featureenables for example, a first local distributor to link to a second localdistributor in the event that a customer immediately requires aparticular item, which is not available from the first distributor. Theability to pool inventory enhances the business of each distributor, andthe customer is able to purchase the item as needed. A particularadvantage of such a feature is that the customer is able to immediatelyfulfill a need from a company distributor rather than purchasing from analternate source. The mobile store system will also facilitate thetransfer of inventory from one mobile store to another.

The inventory of an item may be held by a multiple mobile storefronts ina local region for example, which can be contributed to a common pool ofinventory between the mobile storefronts in the particular local region.Fulfillment of an order placed by a customer of a mobile storefront isprovided from the pooled inventory of the item through one of the mobilestorefronts, with the supplying mobile storefront receiving agreed tocompensation for the goods or services sold. This may provide the mobilestorefronts the ability to better provide desired goods to theircustomers by combining resources. The mobile store distributors mayestablish inventory pooling through the systems and methods and viaelectronic communication devices. Such a feature enables a mobilestorefronts in a region to quickly supply products or services to acustomer. The purchase may still be made directly through the firstmobile store distributor after being supplied by a second distributor oralternatively, the purchase may be made directly through the secondmobile store distributor if desired. The systems and methods may be setup by the mobile store distributor to allow the customer access andidentify the second mobile store distributor or identify the availableinventory as inventory through the first mobile store distributor only.Multiple mobile store distributors may be included in inventory pooling.Based on customer demand or other variables in a region,product-location combinations may be designated as inventory buffers,where one or more of the mobile store or other distributors carryinventory buffers to reduce the effects of variability in the supplychain. The systems and methods can optimize inventory based on theparticular characteristics of the region and customers for example.

The mobile store distributor may also provide certain customers accessto preview and preorder upcoming new products and to take advantage ofspecial promotions. This is controlled by the mobile store distributorthrough an electronic communication device for example. This providesthe mobile store distributor the opportunity to provide enhanced serviceto favorable customers while also managing the inventory within theinventory compartment upon release of the new or promotional products.

In addition to the functionalities described under the present heading,the mobile store distributor may be provided additional control overthose features imparted upon the mobile store distributor as describedunder the heading for “Customer Application,” above.

Examples of a Mobile Storefront Inventory Control

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram illustration of an exemplary, non-limitingexample of the systems and methods described herein. Specifically, FIG.1 illustrates a system 100, which implements the software applicationfor use by distributors and customers to control distribution of goodsor services to a customer, such as through a mobile storefront. One ormore computing devices are utilized for implementing the softwareapplication represented as an app 110 with various functionalities. Asillustrated by FIG. 1 at 115, a customer downloads or accesses the app.The app 110 contains a connection to at least one mobile storefront 130.In operation, the app 110 may determine the location of the customerthat downloaded the app, or may have the customer register with contactand other information at 120, by way of an electronic communicationdevice. Using this information, the app 110 may automatically identifythe mobile store distributors 130 or other distributors in a localregion. The app 110 can then automatically transmit the customerregistration to one or more local mobile storefronts 130 and the mobilestore distributor can communicate with the new customer and enableaccess to full or partial functionality of the systems and methods suchas noted previously at 140 by way of an electronic communication device.If a customer is not approved at 145, access is denied the softwareapplication terminates the transaction 150. If customer access isapproved at 145 the mobile store distributor enables customer access tostore pricing, inventory, and/or mobile store purchase (TP) or otherfeatures at 160 available through the software application by way of anelectronic communication device.

As further illustrated by FIG. 1, upon approval the customer may beginto shop for products or services on the app at 170. The app may provideproduct inventory status from one or more mobile storefronts 130 and/orwarehouse(s) 135 or the like (such as a distributor inventory and/or amanufacturer inventory) at 180. This is accomplished by having thesoftware communicate directly with the information collected from themobile storefront 130 and/or the warehouse(s) 135 as a result of dataproduced by the DBS, the mobile store distributor, the warehouse(s), andactivity by other customers. Upon identifying the desired inventory itemand its availability, the customer begins the purchase checkout process190 and may select from mobile store purchasing options 200, such asincluding cash, credit card, TP, financing, business account, or thelike.

FIG. 1 further illustrates the operation based on selection of a paymentoption. In particular, upon selecting and completing the cash or creditcard options 210 through the electronic communication device the paymentis processed by the software or by a third party payment service.Alternatively, the customer may select the TP option 228 through theelectronic communication device, or a financing option 230 for example.

Upon selection of the payment option, FIG. 1 illustrates the operationof the software application 110, such as to provide the customershipping options 240 in the event of immediate payment by cash or creditcard at 210, through the electronic communication device. Shippingoptions may include expedited shipping via the warehouse(s), expeditedshipping via the mobile store, or normal scheduled mobile store visit orother possible options. The customer order, including each of theparameters above, is then transmitted 250 to the mobile storefront 130by the software application where the mobile store distributor mayaccess it thorough an electronic communication device. Using theelectronic communication device at the mobile storefront, the mobilestore distributor approves or denies the order using the softwareapplication at 260. If the order is denied the software applicationterminates the transaction 150. If the order is approved, the mobilestore distributor 130 manages and tracks the orders for delivery to thecustomer. If the purchased product is not in the mobile storedistributors inventory, and/or the customer selects expedited deliveryor the like, the mobile store distributor may initiate fulfillment viathe warehouse(s) 270, for fulfillment via the mobile store at 280 or thewarehouse at 290 through the software. The inventory can automaticallybe adjusted at the mobile storefront and/or warehouse upon fulfillmentof the customer's order. If a payment option for TP or financing isselected at 220 or 230, the app requests a credit application which issubmitted at 300. Upon approval of the TP or financing, the TP orfinancing terms, calculation, schedule, and status is communicated toand approved by the customer. Upon approval, the customer can thenselect a delivery option at 240 and fulfillment is achieved in the samemanner as with a cash or credit card payment. Through this entireprocess, the inventory item status within the inventory compartment iscontinuously updated and communicated for access by other customers inreal time. Further, inventory control can be automatically implementedfor restocking the inventory if desired. In the event a TP or financingoption is selected and approved, upon fulfillment of the order,monitoring the TP or financing at 310 is performed, and paymentcollected by the mobile store distributor via the app 110 or directlyfrom the customer at 320.

Turning to FIG. 2, exemplary examples of the financing options areillustrated in greater detail. Before making any changes to theinventory item availability, payment or financing, as illustrated byFIG. 2, must be secured and approved through the software application.TP is a financing option provided through the mobile store distributor,acting as a financier for example. In other words, TP is an example ofmobile store financing. In FIG. 2, a customer makes a purchase using theTP option 400. In implementation, the customer can then access via thesoftware application, a TP payment balance inquiry at 405 andcommunicates the same to the mobile store distributor at 410. The mobilestore distributor produces a timed payment calculation and returns thesame to the electronic communication device of the customer at 415. Thesoftware application then allows the customer to make the TP via creditcard at 420 or other payment option which is ultimately processed by themobile store distributor 410 using the software at 425 or by a thirdparty payment processing service. The TP balance is updated at 430 bythe software and communicated to the electronic communication device ofthe customer.

Also illustrated by FIG. 2 is an exemplary example of financing througha DBS party. DBS is an example of corporate store financing. To initiateDBS financing, the customer must submit a credit application at 450 intothe software application using the electronic communication device. Themobile store distributor receives the credit application and can approveor deny the request at 455 using the software application. If the creditrequest is denied, the process is terminated by the softwareapplication. If the credit request is approved by the mobile storedistributor, the mobile store distributor submits the credit applicationto a lender at 460, such another DBS party or the manufacturer forexample. The lender processes the credit application at 465, andapproval is granted or denied at 470 through the software application.If the credit application is approved by the lender and financing isaccepted by the mobile store distributor 410 at 475, the mobile storedistributor can fulfill the order and monitor and receive payments viathe app with a customer at 480. Status of the account and inventory canbe automatically updated accordingly in real time. Given the abovefunctionalities, the app enables, among other things, order fulfillmentand expedited delivery for mobile storefronts via the mobile app andpoint-of-sale systems, periodic timed mobile store payments, paymentcollection for mobile store and corporate financed accounts for mobilestorefronts, initiation of services and support, warranty claims andrepair requests for example. The systems and methods achieve thetechnical effect of enabling a mobile store distributor to have completeaccess and control of their transactions between the mobile store andcustomer. Additionally, the mobile store distributor has complete accesscontrol of its transactions between mobile store and customer, includingcredit limits and approval workflows and a timed payment calculator,which provides estimated payment options based on weekly or set periodsin comparison to total price, to provide flexibility to the customerand/or influence purchase decisions for example.

The presently disclosed systems and methods are described in examples asimplemented by a mobile storefront with direct inventory control basedon sales to customers in real time as follows. The mobile storefrontcomprises an inventory compartment, an electronic communication device,and a processor. The processor is coupled to a computer readable storagemedium with computer executable instructions stored thereon. Thecomputer executable instructions are for use in controlling inventory inthe inventory compartment of the mobile storefront. The computerreadable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure theprocessor to receive a selection of one or more selected inventoryitems. The selection is received through the electronic communicationdevice from a selection made through a customer electronic communicationdevice and implemented by a software application. The computer readableinstructions, when executed by the processor, further configure theprocessor to communicate the selection of the one or more selectedinventory items to a mobile store distributor for approval. Thiscommunication may be performed through the electronic communicationdevice. The computer readable instructions, when executed by theprocessor, additionally configure the processor to automatically changean availability identifier in the system of the selected inventory itemwithin the inventory compartment upon receipt of an authorizationsignal. The authorization signal is a result of the mobile storedistributor approval for example. In a further example, the inventorycompartment may utilize product identifiers to automatically track andcontrol inventory, wherein upon removal of a product from the inventorycompartment, the inventory is automatically updated by the system. Amobile storefront may include one or more terminals to allow a user toeither browse electronically various items for selection and/or sale, oraccess a self-service check-out station to complete a transaction. Aplurality of terminals can be coupled to communicate with a masterserver terminal over a wired/wireless network. A point of sale (POS)computer processes a transaction between a customer and a salesrepresentative. The POS computer includes a graphical user interface(GUI) allowing a user to display product information. In addition, thePOS computer calculates prices, manipulates customer information,processes orders, accesses inventory, processes transactions, and storesdata. Other computers may be located in the mobile store to facilitateother activities, such as accounting, payroll, and inventory control.The computers can store data regarding pricing, inventory, purchaseorders, customer and employee information, transactions from the POScomputers, and other data used for the store's daily operations. Inaddition, the database can be accessed by the store computers and theirassociated memories. The POS management system may also be connectedwith the other mobile stores' computers to form a network where themobile stores can exchange information between stores such as in thepresent DBS system. In an example, the mobile store may have aself-service sales terminal to allow customers to select and purchasegoods directly. A customer can browse products directly in the mobilestore and/or electronically and select various products for purchase,review or check out. Upon customer selection of an item for purchase,the check-out station would automatically request or retrieve theseitems from the inventory compartment for check out. In an example, theself-serve check-out station would communicate via a network interfaceto automatically update inventory or other information. The DBS systemcan perform auditing and daily reporting as may be desired. The purposeof auditing and daily reporting is to provide the mobile store a way ofgenerating reports, which can be used to audit business processes.

The availability identifiers for the one or more selected inventoryitems may be one of the following: one or more stocked inventory itemswithin the inventory compartment; one or more stocked inventory itemswithin a partner inventory compartment; one or more stocked inventoryitems available through the mobile store distributor; one or moreinventory items available through a warehouse, and/or unavailable.Further a quantity identifier for the number of available selectedinventory items may be provided and/or automatically changed for each.In one specific example, the inventory item is one of a product, aservice request, a support request, and a warranty request. Further, aninventory item for a service request, a support request, and/or awarrant request may correspond to an availability identifier foravailable inventory space within an inventory compartment fortransporting a product requiring service, support, or a warranty claimfor repair or replacement. Additionally or alternatively, an inventoryitem for a service request, a support request, and/or a warranty requestmay designate an availability inventory identifier for a scheduledvisit, an expedited visit or schedule of an mobile store distributor.

Further, the software application may further automatically communicatethe sale of the one or more selected inventory items to a warehousewithin the DBS for stocking or restocking the one or more selectedinventory items in the inventory compartment. Further, upon confirmationof stocking or restocking, the software may automatically change theavailability identifier of the selected inventory item as communicatedto the customer through the customer electronic communication device.

The present example may be further modified with a payment structure.The authorization signal may further require a confirmation for anauthorization for payment or financing. This authorization may begranted through the software by a DBS party or may be communicated to amobile store distributor through the electronic communication device.Only upon approval through the electronic communication device by themobile store distributor is the authorization granted. The authorizationfor payment may be one of a direct payment, a timed payment, a paymentwithdrawn from a corporate account, a financed payment, and athird-party payment through a third-party payment service.

A software application may be implemented for direct customer control ofthe inventory for a mobile storefront as follows. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium with computer executable instructions storedthereon is executed by a processor to perform the systems and methodsdescribe herein. The computer executable instructions comprise asoftware application that when executed by the processor configures theprocess to output a list of one or more inventory items availablethrough a mobile storefront. This list may be produced on a display ofan electronic communication device. The list of one or more inventoryitems available through a mobile storefront may be limited to thoseitems available within the mobile storefront or may include those itemsavailable through pooled mobile storefronts, a warehouse, a productcatalogue, and/or the like. The software application further configuresthe processor to receive a selection of one or more inventory items fromthe list of one or more inventory items. The selection the one or moreinventory items is made by a customer through a user interface of anelectronic communication device. The software application may alsoconfigure the process to communicate an availability identifier of theone or more inventory items. The availability identifier may becommunicated on a display of an electronic communication device, such asa customer electronic communication device. The software applicationalso configures the processor to communicate the selection of the one ormore inventory items to a mobile store distributor electroniccommunication device for an approval. The communication of the selectionmay be made on a display of the mobile store distributor electroniccommunication device and the approval may be made by the mobile storedistributor through a user interface of the mobile store distributorelectronic communication device. The software application furtherconfigures the processor to automatically change the availabilityidentifier of the selected inventory item corresponding to theavailability through an inventory compartment of a mobile storefrontupon receipt of an authorization signal. The authorization signal may bethe result of at least an approval received from the mobile storedistributor electronic communication device.

The software application may further automatically communicate theapproval of the one or more selected inventory items to a warehousewithin the DBS for stocking or restocking the one or more selectedinventory items in the inventory compartment. Further, upon confirmationof stocking or restocking, the software may automatically change theavailability identifier of the selected inventory item as communicatedto the customer through the customer electronic communication device.

The software application may further communicate distributor pricing forthe one or more inventory items to a customer electronic communicationdevice as further detailed by the systems and methods described herein.The distributor pricing may be established by a mobile store distributorthrough the mobile store distributor electronic communication devicewith parameters based upon a user identification corresponding to thecustomer and/or the customer electronic communication device. Likewise,the availability identifier of the one or more inventory items mayadditionally be established in the same manner based upon a useridentification corresponding to the customer and/or the customerelectronic communication device. The same may be utilized to establishfinancing, promotions, product presale, service schedule, or the like.

The software application may further include a payment authorizationconfirmation for issuing an authorization signal. In particular, heauthorization signal may further require a confirmation for anauthorization for payment or financing. This authorization may begranted through the software by a DBS party or may be communicated to amobile store distributor through the electronic communication device.Only upon approval through the electronic communication device by themobile store distributor is the authorization granted. The authorizationfor payment may be one of a direct payment, a timed payment, a paymentwithdrawn from a corporate account, a financed payment, and athird-party payment through a third-party payment service.

Like above, the availability identifiers for the one or more selectedinventory items may one of the following: one or more stocked inventoryitems within the inventory compartment; one or more stocked inventoryitems within a partner inventory compartment; one or more stockedinventory items available through the mobile store distributor; and/orone or more unstocked inventory items available through a warehouse.Further a quantity identifier for the number of available selectedinventory items may be provided and/or automatically changed for each.In one specific example, the inventory item is one of a product, aservice request, a support request, and a warranty request. Further, aninventory item for a service request, a support request and/or a warrantrequest may correspond to an availability identifier for availableinventory space within an inventory compartment for transporting aproduct requiring service, support, or warranty claim for repair orreplacement. Additionally or alternatively, an inventory item for aservice request, a support request, and/or a warranty request maydesignate an availability inventory identifier for a scheduled visit, anexpedited visit based upon a moment in time or schedule of an mobilestore distributor.

Examples of Electronic Communication Devices

Turning to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting exampleof an electronic communication device 500 is illustrated. Electroniccommunication device 500 may serve as an exemplary device forimplementing the electronic communication devices described above.Electronic communication device 500 includes one or more processor(s)configured to execute computer-executable instructions such asinstructions composing the application 510. Application 510, forexample, can be software application as described above. Suchcomputer-executable instructions can be stored on one or morecomputer-readable media including a non-transitory, computer-readablestorage medium such as memory 504 of electronic communication device500.

Electronic communication device 500 includes a communication interface506, which can be utilized to communicatively couple the electroniccommunication device 500 to other electronic communication devicesand/or to servers (remote systems). As schematically depicted anddescribed herein, a “communication interface” refers to a logicalinterface through which communication between at least two entities isestablished and conducted. The communication interface incorporates anaddress or identifier to which transmission can be directed forreception by the entity utilizing the interface. The address oridentifier also serves to identify an origin for transmission from theinterface. As a logical interface, the communication interface 506 caninclude one or more protocols enabling the communication. Theseprotocols can be layered (e.g., according to the OSI model). Further,these protocols can vary depending upon the medium of transmission. Forexample, the communication interface 506 can utilize a wired or wirelessmedium. To this end, as utilized herein, the communication interface 506also includes physical interfaces and transmit/receive processing chainsto implement the communication via the medium. For example, thecommunication interface 506 can include physical wired or wirelessinterfaces such as, but not limited to, a USB interface, a serialinterface, a WiFi interface, a short-range RF interface (Bluetooth), aninfrared interface, a near-field communication (NFC) interface, anEthernet interface, a fiber optic interface, a cellular radio interface,a satellite interface, etc.

Electronic communication device 500 can further include a user interface508 that comprises various elements to obtain user input and to conveyuser output such as displays and input devices (e.g., keyboards,pointing devices, etc.). As utilized herein, user interface 508 includesgraphical user interfaces displayed by output devices (e.g., displays)and interacted with by users via input devices. Graphical userinterfaces can be generated by application 510.

Turning to FIG. 4, one example of the system as implemented through anelectronic communication device is illustrated. An app 600 is availablethrough an electronic communication device. Upon accessing the app 600 acustomer may browse and select from various options. Examples of theoptions include accessing and/or viewing a catalog of inventory items620, accessing and/or viewing promotional fliers 630, accessing and/orviewing financing options 640, accessing and/or viewing mobilestorefront contact information 650, accessing and/or viewing accountinformation 660, and/or accessing and/or viewing login information 670.In this particular example, the customer accesses and/or views thecatalog 620 where the customer is provided access to the availableinventory 710 of a mobile storefront 700 through the catalog 620. Theinventory includes the available products and/or services and providesthe necessary level of detail as described in the present disclosure.Through the app 600, the customer submits a request 670 for theavailable inventory item(s) 710. The request for the available inventoryitem(s) is communicated from the electronic communication device to theDBS, and/or the mobile storefront 700, for review and approval 810. Sucha request may be facilitated through a POS system and/or directly withthe mobile storefront. In this particular example, the request iscommunicated to the mobile storefront 700 through the cloud. Uponapproval, a status, or availability, of the requested inventory item(s)710 is updated within the mobile storefront 700 and catalog 620 of theapp 600 and the mobile storefront 700 delivers the requested andapproved inventory item(s) 720.

Examples of Server Devices

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting exampleof server device 1000. Server device 1000 can be a server of supportsystem described above. As shown, server device 1000 includes one ormore processors 1010, a memory 1020 storing application 1030, acommunication interface 1040 and a storage interface 1050. Thecommunication interface 1040 can be utilized to communicate with one ormore devices such as electronic communication device 500, as shown inFIG. 3, via one or more APIs exposed by application 1030. Storageinterface 1050 operatively couples server device 1000 to data storage1060. Storage interface 1050 can take the form of a physical hardwareinterface when data storage 1060 is a storage device integrated withserver 1000. However, data storage 1060 can also take the form of be astorage server, network storage, or remote storage having a similarstructure as server device 1000. In this example, storage interface 1050can be a communication interface.

Server device 1000 is one example of a computing device that canimplement aspects of the present systems and methods. In general, asutilized herein, a “server” refers to a type of computing device havingone or more computer processors coupled to a memory (e.g., anon-transitory, computer-readable storage medium) storingcomputer-executable instructions for providing a service or remotefunctionality to one or more electronic communication devices 500, asshown in FIG. 3. The server can be a virtual machine includingvirtualized hardware elements executing on one or more physicalcomputing devices like server device 1000. According to another example,the server can be a package of computer-executable instructions andcomputer-readable data, which is executed on a virtual platform. Thevirtual platform can include an bundle of computing resources providedby one or more physical computing devices and can provide an executionenvironment for the application 1030. In other words, the server can beprovided as a cloud-based service and, further, can be provided on topof additional cloud computing services (e.g., platform-as-a-service,infrastructure-as-a-service, etc.).

Examples of Networked and Distributed Environments

One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that the variousexamples of systems and methods described herein can be implemented inconnection with any electronic computing device, client device, orserver device, which can be deployed as part of a computer network or ina distributed computing environment such as the cloud. The variousexamples described herein can be implemented in substantially anycomputer system or computing environment having any number of memory orstorage units, any number of processing units, and any number ofapplications and processes occurring across any number of storage unitsand processing units. This includes, but is not limited to, cloudenvironments with physical computing devices (e.g., servers) aggregatingcomputing resources (i.e., memory, persistent storage, processor cycles,network bandwidth, etc.) which are distributed among a plurality ofcomputable objects. The physical computing devices can intercommunicatevia a variety of physical communication links such as wiredcommunication media (e.g., fiber optics, twisted pair wires, coaxialcables, etc.) and/or wireless communication media (e.g., microwave,satellite, cellular, radio or spread spectrum, free-space optical,etc.). The physical computing devices can be aggregated and exposedaccording to various levels of abstraction for use by application orservice providers, to provide computing services or functionality toelectronic computing devices. The electronic computing devices canaccess the computing services or functionality via application programinterfaces (APIs), web browsers, or other standalone or networkedapplications. Accordingly, aspects of the present systems and methodsmay be implemented based on such a cloud environment. For example, asupport system can reside in the cloud environment such that thecomputer-executable instruction implementing the functionality thereofare executed with the aggregated computing resources provided by theplurality of physical computing devices. The cloud environment providesone or more methods of access to the support system, which are utilizedby the present software on a computing device. These methods of accessinclude IP addresses, domain names, URIs, etc. Since the aggregatedcomputing resources can be provided by physical computing deviceremotely located from one another, the cloud environment can includeadditional devices such as a routers, load balancers, switches, etc.,that appropriately coordinate network data.

FIG. 6 provides a schematic diagram of an exemplary networked ordistributed computing environment, such as a cloud computing environment2000. The cloud computing environment 2000 represents a collection ofcomputing resources available, typically via the Internet, to one ormore client devices. The cloud computing environment 2000 comprisesvarious levels of abstraction: infrastructure 2010, a platform 2020, andapplications 2030. Each level, from infrastructure 2010 to applications2030 is generally implemented on top of lower levels, withinfrastructure 2010 representing the lowest level.

Infrastructure 2010 generally encompasses the physical resources andcomponents on which cloud services are deployed. For instance,infrastructure 2010 may include virtual machines 2012, physical machines2014, routers/switches 2016, and network interfaces 2018. The networkinterfaces 2018 provide access to the cloud computing environment 2000,via the Internet or other network, from client devices such as computingdevices 2040, 2052, 2060, etc. That is, network interfaces 2018 providean outermost boundary of cloud computing environment 2000 and couple thecloud computing environment 2000 to other networks, the Internet, andelectronic computing devices. Routers/switches 2016 couple the networkinterfaces 2018 to physical machines 2014, which are computing devicescomprising computer processors, memory, mass storage devices, etc.Hardware of physical machines 2014 can be virtualized to provide virtualmachines 2012. In an aspect, virtual machines 2012 can be executed onone or more physical machines 2014. That is, one physical machine 2014can include a plurality of virtual machines 2012.

Implemented on infrastructure 2010, platform 2020 includes software thatforming a foundation for applications 2030. The software formingplatform 2020 includes operating systems 2022, programming or executionenvironments 2024, web servers 2026, and databases 2028. The software ofplatform 2020 may be configured to be installed on virtual machines 2012and/or physical machines 2014.

Applications 2030 include user-facing software applications, implementedon platform 2020, that provide services to various electronic computingdevices. In this regard, support system or application server 920 of thesystems and methods described herein are examples of application 2030.As illustrated in FIG. 20, electronic computing devices may includecomputing devices 2040, 2052 and mobile device 2060. Computing devices2040, 2052 may be directly coupled to the Internet, and therefore thecloud computing environment 2000, or indirectly coupled to the Internetvia a WAN/LAN 2050. The WAN/LAN 2050 may include an access point 2054that enables wireless communications (e.g., WiFi) with mobile device2060. In this regard, via access point 2054 and WAN/LAN 2050, mobiledevice 2060 may be configured to communicate wirelessly with the cloudcomputing environment 2000. Mobile device 2060 can also wirelesslycommunicate according to cellular technology such as, but not limitedto, GSM, LTE, WiMAX, HSPA, etc. Accordingly, mobile device 2060 canwireless communicate with a base station 2062, which is coupled to acore network 2064 of a wireless communication provider. The core network2064 includes a gateway to the Internet and, via the Internet, providesa communication path to the cloud computing environment 2000.

Examples of Computing Environment

As mentioned, advantageously, the techniques described herein may beapplied to any device where it is desirable to provide the presentsystems and methods. It can be understood, therefore, that handheld,portable and other computing devices and computing objects of all kindsare contemplated for use in connection with the various examples.Accordingly, the below general purpose computer described below in FIG.7 is but one example of an electronic computing device.

Examples can partly be implemented via an operating system, for use by adeveloper of services for a device or object, and/or included withinapplication software that operates to perform one or more functionalaspects of the various examples described herein. Software may bedescribed in the general context of computer-executable instructions,such as program modules, being executed by one or more computers, suchas client workstations, servers or other devices. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that computer systems have a variety ofconfigurations and protocols that can be used to communicate data, andthus, no particular configuration or protocol is considered limiting.

FIG. 7 thus illustrates an example of a suitable computing systemenvironment 2100 in which one or aspects of the examples describedherein can be implemented, although as made clear above, the computingsystem environment 2100 is only one example of a suitable computingenvironment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to scope ofuse or functionality. In addition, the computing system environment 2100is not intended to be interpreted as having any dependency relating toany one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplarycomputing system environment 2100.

With reference to FIG. 7, an exemplary device for implementing one ormore examples includes a general purpose computing device in the form ofa computer 2110. Components of computer 2110 may include, but are notlimited to, a processing unit 2120, a system memory 2130, and a systembus 2122 that couples various system components including the systemmemory to the processing unit 2120.

Computer 2110 typically includes a variety of computer readable mediaand can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 2110.The system memory 2130 may include computer storage media in the form ofvolatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and/orrandom access memory (RAM). By way of example, and not limitation,system memory 2130 may also include an operating system, applicationprograms, other program modules, and program data. According to afurther example, computer 2110 can also include a variety of other media(not shown), which may include, without limitation, RAM, ROM, EEPROM,flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk (CD) ROM, digitalversatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, or other tangibleand/or non-transitory media which can be used to store desiredinformation.

A user is enabled to enter commands and information into the computer2110 through input devices 2140. A monitor or other type of displaydevice is also connected to the system bus 2122 via an interface, suchas output interface 2150. In addition to a monitor, computers can alsoinclude other peripheral output devices such as speakers and a printer,which may be connected through output interface 2150.

The computer 2110 may operate in a networked or distributed environmentusing logical connections to one or more other remote computers, such asremote computer 2170. The remote computer 2170 may be a personalcomputer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or othercommon network node, or any other remote media consumption ortransmission device, and may include any or all of the elementsdescribed above relative to the computer 2110. The logical connectionsdepicted in FIG. 7 include a network 2172, such local area network (LAN)or a wide area network (WAN), but may also include other networks/buses.Such networking environments are commonplace in homes, offices,enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet.

As mentioned above, while exemplary examples have been described inconnection with various computing devices and network architectures, theunderlying concepts may be applied to any network system and anycomputing device or system in which it is desirable to implement thepresent systems and methods.

Also, there are multiple ways to implement the same or similarfunctionality, e.g., an appropriate API, tool kit, driver code,operating system, control, standalone or downloadable software object,etc. which enables applications and services to take advantage of thetechniques provided herein. Thus, examples herein are contemplated fromthe standpoint of an API (or other software object), as well as from asoftware or hardware object that implements one or more examples asdescribed herein. Thus, various examples described herein can haveaspects that are wholly in hardware, partly in hardware and partly insoftware, as well as in software.

As utilized herein, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or”rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, orclear from the context, the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended tomean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “Xemploys A or B” is satisfied by any of the following instances: Xemploys A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B. In addition, thearticles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appendedclaims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unlessspecified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to asingular form.

Further, as used herein, the term “exemplary” is intended to mean“serving as an illustration or example of something.”

Illustrative examples have been described, hereinabove. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methodsmay incorporate changes and modifications without departing from thegeneral scope of the claimed subject matter. It is intended to includeall such modifications and alterations within the scope of the claimedsubject matter. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” isused in either the detailed description or the claims, such term isintended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as“comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in aclaim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for operating a mobile storefrontcomprising: one or more mobile stores, each including an inventorycompartment and a mobile store electronic communication device; acustomer electronic communication device; and a processor coupled to acomputer readable storage medium having stored thereon computerexecutable instructions for use in controlling inventory in theinventory compartments of the one or more mobile stores, the computerreadable instructions, when executed by the processor, configuring theprocessor to: identify, via the customer electronic communicationdevice, available customer data including customer status, customerlocation, and customer financing arrangement; analyze the availablecustomer data, available via the customer electronic communicationdevice, in combination with a franchise distribution model and inventoryavailable via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communicationdevices; select and pair a paired mobile store to the customerelectronic communication device from the one or more mobile stores in aregion based on the analysis of the available customer data, availablevia the customer electronic communication device, in combination with afranchise distribution model and the inventory available via the one ormore mobile stores' electronic communication devices, receive aselection of one or more inventory items available through the mobilestore electronic communication device of the paired mobile store via thecustomer electronic communication device; communicate the selection ofthe one or more selected inventory items to the mobile store electroniccommunication device of the paired mobile store for approval, via themobile store electronic communication device of the paired mobile store,and a sale to a customer, via the mobile store electronic communicationdevice of the paired mobile store; automatically update the inventoryreflected in the inventory compartment of the paired mobile store viathe mobile store electronic communication device upon the sale to thecustomer by changing an availability identifier of the selectedinventory item upon receipt of an authorization signal wherein theauthorization signal is a result of the paired mobile store approval,via the mobile store electronic communication device.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the availability identifiers of the one or moreselected inventory item is one of: one or more stocked inventory itemswithin the inventory compartment; one or more stocked inventory itemswithin a partner inventory compartment; one or more inventory items in awarehouse; and unavailable.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein theapproval of the one or more selected inventory items is automaticallycommunicated by the processor to a franchise distributor where theprocessor further analyzes, via the electronic communication devices ofthe one or more mobile stores, the franchise distribution model betweenthe one or more mobile stores, pooled inventories between the one ormore mobile stores, product demand as recorded by the electroniccommunication devices of the one or more mobile stores, product sales asrecorded by the electronic communication devices of the one or moremobile stores, and product locations as maintained by the electroniccommunication devices of the one or more mobile stores to identify andcommunicate stocking parameters to the franchise distributor forstocking one or more inventory items or restocking the one or moreselected inventory items in the inventory compartments of the one ormore mobile stores.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein upon identifyingand communicating the stocking parameters the processor automaticallycommunicates, via the electronic communication devices of the one ormore mobile stores, a change of the availability identifier of the oneor more inventory items of one or more selected inventory.
 5. The systemof claim 1, wherein the change of the availability identifier of the oneor more selected inventory items is changed between two of: a stockedinventory item within the inventory compartment; a stocked inventoryitem within a partner inventory compartment; an inventory item in awarehouse; and unavailable.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the changeof the availability identifier of the one or more selected inventoryitems is a change in quantity.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein theauthorization signal is a result of a payment confirmation.
 8. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein upon selection of one or more inventoryitems, the customer is provided, via the customer electroniccommunication device, with payment options including a direct payment, atimed payment, a payment from a corporate account, a financed payment,and a third-party payment service to establish the customer financingarrangement approved via the paired mobile store electroniccommunication device.
 9. The system of claim 1 wherein the processoridentifies the mobile store service capabilities and communicates themobile store service capabilities to a customer as one or more inventoryitems for selection of a service request or a support request by thecustomer as one or more inventory items from the mobile store electroniccommunication device via the customer electronic communication device.10. The system of claim 1 wherein the customer is provided access tomobile store distributor pricing on the customer electroniccommunication device.
 11. The system of claim 1 wherein the processorfurther communicates a product defect or failure information in realtime to a repair person through the customer electronic communicationdevice.
 12. A non-transitory computer readable medium with computerexecutable instructions stored thereon executed by a processor toperform the method of operating a mobile storefront, thecomputer-executable instructions comprising: a software application,when executed by the processor, configures the processor to: identifyavailable customer data, received via a customer electroniccommunication device, including customer status, customer location, andcustomer financing arrangement; analyze the available customer data incombination with a franchise distribution model and inventory, service,or support availability of a mobile store, received via a mobile storeelectronic communication device; select a paired mobile storefront frommobile storefronts in a region based on the franchise distribution modelbased on the analysis of the available customer data, available via thecustomer electronic communication device, in combination with afranchise distribution model and the inventory, service, or supportavailable via the one or more mobile stores' electronic communicationdevices; output, on the display of a customer electronic communicationdevice, information relating to at least one of the inventory itemavailable through the paired mobile storefront, the service availablethrough the paired mobile storefront, and the support available throughthe paired mobile storefront and related pricing through the pairedmobile storefront; receive, through a user interface of the customerelectronic communication device, a selection of at least one of theinventory item available through the paired mobile storefront, theservice available through the paired mobile storefront, and the supportavailable through the paired mobile storefront; communicate, through thedisplay of the customer electronic communication device, a plurality ofpayment options for the at least one of the selected item, the service,and the support, the plurality of payment options including at least oneof a direct payment, a timed payment, a payment from a corporateaccount, a financed payment, and a payment from a third-party paymentservice, and a plurality of delivery options from the mobile storeelectronic communication device of the paired mobile storefront forselection through the customer electronic communication device by acustomer; communicate the selection of the one or more inventory itemsto the mobile store electronic communication device for approval of theselected payment option by the customer; and upon approval of theselected payment option from the customer by the paired mobilestorefront through the mobile store distributor electronic communicationdevice, implementing delivery of the selected inventory, service, orsupport by the paired mobile storefront.
 13. The computer readablemedium of claim 12 wherein the computer readable instructions furtherconfigure the processor to automatically change the inventoryavailability of items in the paired mobile storefront upon approval ofthe selected payment option from the customer by the paired mobilestorefront.
 14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein thecomputer readable instructions further configure the processor togenerate a timed payment calculator to determine and communicate termsof a timed payment for the selected items, service, or support offeredfrom the paired mobile storefront.
 15. The computer readable medium ofclaim 12 wherein the computer readable instructions further configurethe processor to communicate with one or more mobile storefronts or adistributor in a predetermined geographical region to pool inventory ofitems available through the paired mobile storefront from the one ormore mobile storefronts or the distributor in a predeterminedgeographical region.
 16. The computer readable medium of claim 12wherein the processor generates a timed payment based on the availablecustomer data or provides a financing account balance to the customervia the customer electronic communication device.
 17. The computerreadable medium of claim 12 wherein the processor enables registrationby a new customer and identifies a location of the new customer andautomatically notifies the paired mobile storefront near the identifiednew customer location for approval of access to items, services, orsupport from the mobile storefront.
 18. The computer readable medium ofclaim 12 wherein the processor communicates a product defect or failureinformation in real time to a repair person through the electroniccommunication device.
 19. The computer readable medium of claim 12,wherein the computer executable instructions further configure theprocessor to communicate a service schedule on the display of thecustomer electronic communication device.
 20. The computer readablemedium of claim 12, wherein the computer readable instructions furtherconfigure the processor to communicate a mobile storefront site visitschedule on the display of the customer electronic communication device.21. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the electroniccommunication device communicates with one or more customer electroniccommunication devices to provide new product information or productpromotions available through the mobile storefront.